The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) plans to conduct a mass anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) drive on Sunday for all stray dogs in Velachery after seven, including a seven-month-old baby and a nine-year-old boy, were bitten reportedly by a dog on Friday.
An official in the Public Health Department said all the seven, including the children, were out of danger and showed no symptoms of severe conditions so far. He added they would be monitored by the GCC.
According to a resident in Bharathi Nagar of Velchary, when his 46-year-old mother-in-law was sitting outside the house holding his infant baby in her hands, a non-aggressive dog approached her and bit her suddenly. To save the baby, she stood up, but the animal bit the baby’s hand and fled, he added.
“We quickly took the baby to the hospital, and doctors confirmed that the infant was safe. This is the first such incident in the area. The dogs are not usually a threat. The dog was neither aggressive nor salivating. Many leave their aged or unhealthy pets here, so it is unclear whether the dog was a stray, an abandoned pet, or a community dog,” he said.
The resident added that many from Park Avenue, Bharathi Nagar, and Baby Nagar of Velachery were affected on Friday. The GCC official said the affected persons could not identify the dog that bit them. Hence, a dog has been captured under suspicion and is now under observation.
Published – February 09, 2025 01:04 am IST